Do you know the past tense forms of 'dormir', the Spanish verb 'to sleep'?

Grammar - Conjugating IR Verbs in the Past Tense

This Spanish Medium Review quiz will introduce you to conjugating IR verbs in the past tense. If you have been going through these quizzes in order you will have already learned how to conjugate AR and ER verbs in the past tense. You have also come to learn that verbs can be both regular verbs and irregular verbs. This holds true for IR verbs as well. Learning verbs and their conjugations takes a lot of practice and it takes time so try not to get discouraged. There will come a time when it all becomes as natural to you as it does in English.

If you have not already taken the previous quizzes, please check them out now. Those quizzes are the Spanish Medium Review quizzes titled Grammar: Conjugating AR Verbs in the Past Tense! and Grammar: Conjugating ER Verbs in the Past Tense! To review even further, check out the Spanish Medium Review quiz titled Grammar: Learning to Conjugate in the Past Tense. Each one of those quizzes, and their introductions, will assist you in understanding how to take this quiz. In this quiz you will be focusing only on IR verbs. Those verbs are as follows.

DECIR (to tell) (irregular in both present and past)

Past Tense: (yo) dije; (tú) dijiste; (él/ella/usted/lo) dijo; (nosotros/as) dijimos; (vosotros/as) dijisteis; (ellos/ellas/ustedes/los) dijeron (Notice that the J has an H sound. It is also important to note that in some countries decir (phonetically pronounced as day-seer) is pronounced as day-theer as the 'c' has a 'th' sound.)

Did you notice how different it is to conjugate 'ir' (to go)? Remember that when you conjugate you drop the verb’s ending. When you drop IR you have nothing left. This leaves conjugating this verb wide open so it is one of the verbs that needs to be memorized in each tense. In fact, several of these verbs have quite a different spelling when conjugated in the past tense.

As was stated earlier, take as much time as you need to really get to know these verbs in both their present tense and past tense forms. You do not need to rush through them. Move at the pace that is most comfortable to you. There is no punching a time clock here! When you believe have a good grasp of how verbs are conjugated in both present and past tenses, then move forward and take this quiz. Read each question carefully and then locate the correct answer to that question.

1.

What is the plural familiar past tense of pedir?

pedísteis

pidisteis

pedisteis

pedistéis

The plural familiar past tense of pedir (to ask) would mean you asked. In Spanish that would be pedisteis.

2.

How would you conjugate the verb dormir in the past tense using the pronoun they?

dormireon

durmieron

dormeron

duermieron

The past tense of the verb dormir (to sleep) when conjugated with the pronoun they would be durmieron (they slept).

3.

How would you conjugate the verb ir in the past tense using the direct object pronoun it?

fió

fuí

fué

fue

The past tense of the verb ir (to go) when conjugated with the direct object pronoun it would be fue (it went).

4.

What does the Spanish word vivimos mean in English?

we lived

we came

we dressed

we visited

The Spanish word vivimos comes from the verb vivir. It means to live. Vivimos is the past tense of the verb and means we lived. (It is also the present tense ending for we live.)

5.

What does the Spanish word moristeis mean in English?

you died (plural familiar)

you murdered (singular familiar)

you murdered (plural familiar)

you died (singular familiar)

The Spanish word moristeis comes from the verb morir. It means to die. You can now eliminate the second and third answers. Moristeis is the past tense of the verb and means you died (plural familiar).

6.

How would you conjugate the verb abrir in the past tense using the pronoun I?

abró;

abrí

abré

abrió

The past tense of the verb abrir (to open) when conjugated with the pronoun I would be abrí (I opened).

7.

What does the Spanish word dijiste mean in English?

you do (singular formal)

you did (singular formal)

you decided (singular familiar)

you told (singular familiar)

The Spanish word dijiste comes from the verb decir. It means to tell. Dijiste is the past tense of the verb and means you told (singular familiar).

8.

How would you conjugate the verb mentir in the past tense using the pronoun we?

mentemos

mientemos

mentimos

mientimos

The past tense of the verb 'mentir' (to lie) when conjugated with the pronoun 'we' would be 'mentimos' (we lied). Even though this is an irregular verb in the present tense, it is conjugated as a regular verb with the subject pronoun of 'we'.

9.

How would you conjugate the verb encubrir in the past tense using the pronoun he?

encubré

encubrió

encubró

encuebrió

The past tense of the verb encubrir (to hide) when conjugated with the pronoun he would be encubrió (he hid).

10.

What does the Spanish word describieron mean in English?

they decided

we decided

we described

they described

The Spanish word describieron comes from the verb describer. It means to describe. Describieron is the past tense of the verb and means they described.